Furniture framing and method of making the same



' June 23 1931.

I L. LARSEN 1,810,970 FURNTUE FRAMING AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME MFiled June 17, 1929 2 Sheeis 5heet ls"'mmumuummumnuimnnmmmuunmHummmnmmunmm @Q4/il /3 )4Z y? /2/ @l mf "1 f-ff "fi- ::l

Y N VE /Y TOR. l fry/5 1 fwaf/n/ June 23, 1931. LARSEN 1,810,970

FURNITURE EEAMINE AND METHOD 0E MAKING TEE SAME Filed June 1'?. 1929 2sheets-sheet 2 @NMi-fm Patented June 23, 1931 l UNITEDSTATES *P1Lala-971e LEWIS LARSEN, on MnNoMiNEn, MicnGAN, `AssrcrNoR ToiiEYWoon-WAKErrnLn COMPANY,y or BosToN, MAssAcHUsETTs A coRroRaTIoN vorMassAcHUsnTTs FRNITURE FRAMING'AND MnTHonor MAKING Tian Application led:I une 17,

, This invention relates to improvements kin furniture framing andmethod of making the same and it consists of the matters hereinafterdescribed and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In some branchesof the furniture indus-y try, bent Wood is employed inthe production of chairs, stools,` tables and the like. The Wood thusemployed is usually cylindrical vin cross sections and is referred `toas dowel stock. In this branch of the industry the exterior surface ofthe stock is substantially plain and smooth. The reed furniture industryabsorbs large amounts of such stock as framing materialrandvusually suchstock is circumferentially beaded to simulate rattan, orreed Wrapping onthosev portions of the frames exposed to View in a finished articleofreed or like furniture. j

Hoivever, in both instances. the stock is treated as with hot Water'tomake it pliable and bendable to form. Sometimes such Waf ter treatedAstock splits l'or cracks in the bendingthereof and again such Ystockeven after it has been incorporated in a piece of furnif turerand hasdried out, splitsand splinters,

which of course is objectionable.n y l ,Y .M f The primary object oftheinventionis to provide a material suitablefor-bending into desiredshapes for furniture framing, which is indeed much stronger, than allWood framing and will not` split, crack or splinter While the same isbeing bent into shape or after it has been incorporated into anarticleof fun niture. Y j

@Still another object of the invention is to provide a framing for suchpurpose, made of a thin light Weight metallic tubing and reinforced uponthe inside so that thesameV may be bent Without splitting. or cracking,Vthe tubing stock being so thin as to easily .permit the driving ofnails, brads or tacksthereinto in the manner of driving the same intoThese objects of the invention 'as well as others together Withthe many.advantages thereof, Will more fully appear as I proceed with myspecification. Y Y. Inthe drawings Fig. 1 is a'view in side elevation ofa piece 1929. Aserial* No. 371,338.

offthin Walled, sheet metaltubing employed v'in carryingout 'one formofmy inventionbeforeithe same has been operated upon in accordance withother-'stepsof the invention as Will later appear. y

Fig..2 isa vieW in side elevation lof Vsaid tubing after it has beenVoperated upon to providea circumferentially beadedl surface thereon tosimulate a rattan or reed Wrapped appearance after finishing.. Fig. 2aisa View in end elevation thereof. v w Y Fig. 3 is a vieW insideelevation; of one or morershort pieces of Wood doWel stock Which maybeadvantageouslyemployed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3a is aView in end elevation of the same. f

Fig. .4 is a .View in side elevation of the piece of tubing shown inFig. 2 after a piece ofthe doWelstock'shoWn in Fig. 3 has beeninserted'thereinto to reinforce the same.` y Y nFig. 5v is a view insideel'evation of the reinforcedtube shown inFig. 4L .after the same hasbeen bent to desired shape o r form. Fig. ,52L is a view in endelevation thereof. f Fig. '6, is vaperspective View of the frame ofanarticle of furniture, suchaspa chair made in accordanceyvithmyinvention. I AFigfr'k is a'perspective View ofV a reed chair made inaccordance with my invention .with the l'us'ualseat omitted therefrom tomore fully disclose the structure thereof.

., lIhe vinvention is herein illustrated and Will i be-her'ein.described in connection with a reedior reed fabric chair beca-usesuch achair vvell'r'represents an article of. furniture of commonl use andoneyvvhich may be ltaken as anexemplieation of the problems overfv comeby my invention. f InFig. 6 `is illustrated the bare frame ofY asubstantially high-back and side chair adopted to be .covered with asuitablewoven reed orv reedv fabric. Such al chair frame comprises aseat frameimemberlrincluding side rails 2 2, a frontraill and-a roundedrear rail k4 Which may befmade as an integral part of the sidelraijls."`5 indicates the rfront pair of legs ofthe Vchair 'jframe and 6indicates the rear pair of le'gsof said` frame. The front legs 5 areofsuchfheightsas to f gether by diagonal braces- T and `portions offraine member 1. The bottom portions of said legs are substantiallyperpendicular 'While the top portions of said legs are bent laterallyoutward as shown. vSaid legs are engaged with and secured to the seatframe in the plane of the front rail 3 in any suitable manner.

The rear pair of l'egs 6 are longer than the legs of the front pair andare bentata point bet-Ween their ,ends Where they are se` cured in anysuitable Vmanner "to, the rear partof the seat frame. In this instancethe bottom parts .of saidlegs A`extend dovvn Wardly from the seatv fiameandthe vtop parts of said legs extend upwardly `and out- Wardly fromsaid seat frame. The bottom portion `of all yof saidlegs are connectedtoall of saidvlegs'belotv 'the seat frame are further" braced therefromVby brace members 8.

` The topends or extensions of all of said legs are connected togetherby aU shaped top' rail or bar 9 preferably of bent Wood, doWel stock; Y

'Those portions of the legs above the seat frame member 1 receive awoven reed or reed fabric 1 0 Whichv fabric is disposed upon the insidelof said legs in the manner WellV known, and the'front rail is coveredWith'a strip v11 of lsuch fabric as best shown in Fig. 7.

From-the aboveA it is apparent that certain .portions ofV the legs areexposedto View in a finished chair and if such legs which wereheretofore made of Wood doWel stock were left smooth, they would notharmonize with the covering. kThe practice hasbeen to make said legs ina manner to simulatea reedbr rattan' Wrapping thereon and this was doneby circumferentially beading the same by rolling grooves thereinto. Suchy legs being made of Wood are apt to split and crack after the chair hasbeen finished,`W-ith the resultthat Vthechair is rendered useless or-hasto be sold as a second with a resultingloss. 'Y To overcome thedifficulties and objections to this type ofV leg-I'V have provided aAframe member in the form of'a leg iv'vhich 'comprises a thin metallictube interiorly braced or re-V inforced either for its entirelength` oratV certainv pointsk or places inthe lengthY thereof.

Such a leg is best shown in Figsl `5 and 5&4

,"Iloform suchV a leg, I provide a piece of thin Walled sheet Vmetaltubing j12`as shown inl Fig'l, of the' desired lengthand the sameiriay'be eitherseamless or Welded tubing. I then operate upon saidtubing and circum-r ferentially bead thesame'by rollingor otherwiseAforming a groove or grooves 13 therein to produce thebe'ading V'14:thereon, best shown iniFigulZ. beading fis preferably i helical .toYmore Closely'sirnnlate a viewed arpeefees- VShould Silh tubing requiretrimming as to length, this may be done either before or after beadingas mentioned.

Toreinforce such a piece of tubing, I provide a piece of Wooden dowelstock 15 of a diameter snugly fitting the interior of the tubing andtreat the same to a fiuid to make it pliable or flexible enoughfor'bending.

vPreferably soaking such stock in hot Water Will make theesame bendable.VSaid Vdovvvel Vs tockfl', after -beingthus soaked in then insertedintoone endof the tubing and forced yinto the desired positionVvthereinto under endtvise pressurev and once in place therein canAonlyqbe removed with much diiiiculty. In this respect Ait is pointed outthat the dowel stock may be offany desirable' length; that is, it maybeof a'length .approximating that of a the tubing `orf-itmay be inshorterlengths or `pieces .which `are disposed at dif# ferent distance apartWithin said tubing. r-I`herebysnch fdowel stock asis now. considered asfactory Waste may be advantageously employed With an economic saving.

After the soaked doyvel stock `has been placed Within-"thetubingtoreinforce the same, such reinforced tnbinr may `bereadily bent as lshownin Fig. ,5 to the ydesired shape, the doWel stock acting to prevent:kinking or buckling Vof the tubing' atthe bend. Thereafter 'suchportions as projectbeyond 'the ends ofi-the tubing areI` trimmed off andthe reinforced tubing is then `ready for use in a furniture articleframe.

Vhen a chair frame suchas that shown in Figffis` to be made up,'piel cesoftubing re-` in'forced as-described-,are bent into proper shapetopformA the-'legs 5 and 6. 'Ihese legs are' then secured-tothe seatframe las by nailing'the saine` thereto,it being pointed out that theAtubing'vvall is not so ythick. or heavy Vas to offer myysilbsta'ntialresistance to the driving'of nailsfthereinto in thesame mannerastheyvmay-be driveninto Wood;

K'IYhe-bottonri endsv of the Ilegs are then braced together and ytotheseat frame and the- U shaped top rai-l -9 is then secured-to the' top 1`ends ,ofr the 'legs so that lthe framing Y as a Wholeis ready toYreceive its covering I0 offreed fabric or' the like. Y

Such ,a reinforced tubing hasmany advantages as material for` use inprovidingV the framing'of articles of-'ffu'rniturel 4It 'does not'split,cracker splinter either before or `after bending vandfit lreadilyv takes'such finishing paints or'enamels as itis vdesired toapply'thereto."It'does not'V splinter' in themanne'r'of woodand Wheresuch tubing isV reinforced atv VspacedV points only, the Weight of thechair materially reduced. JAgain vmaking upthetubing in the Lrrrannerdescribed forms an I'economic"outlet forthe shortpiecesf of do'v'velstock heretofore" 'recoge Vnized as a factor Waste',A`andv'thereinforced ,tilting 'is ready .erase aftrbeedeelnihr thereof inproducing the framing, the same is to be considered merely asillustrative so that I do not Wish to be limited thereto eX- eept as maybe pointed out in the appended Claim.

I claim as my invention:

The method of making a furniture fram member or the like which consists{in providing a thin Walled metal tube, inserting a plurality of Woodendowel members therein in endwise spaced relation at least in part andthen bending the composite structure at p a zone containing such a doWelmember.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand7 this 11th day ofJune, 1929.

LEWIS LARSEN.

